It’s not enough to offer beauty made with sustainably sourced ingredients; the ingredients also have to be scientifically proven to deliver results.

The need for green sun care has steadily increased over the years, and suppliers have risen to the challenge.

Annual Asia facial skin care sales are expected to reach nearly $40 billion by the end of 2019, with more than a third of sales attributed to skin lightening products.

Skin lightening agents are being applied to women’s and men’s skin care.

Anti-aging skin care is at the top of consumers’ list for natural alternatives to invasive procedures.

It’s official: synthetic chemicals are out and natural beauty’s in. This past summer, natural beauty brand Kari Gran conducted a comprehensive “Green Beauty Barometer” survey. The results showed that 54% of American women say it is important that their skin care product purchases are all natural.

“This is where beauty is going,” says Lisa Strain, co-founder of Kari Gran. “Consumers are more aware and cautious [than] ever about chemical ingredients, and it’s not going to be business as usual for the category.”

In skin care today, it’s not enough to offer beauty made with sustainably-sourced ingredients; the ingredients also have to be scientifically proven to deliver results.

“The use of scientifically validated natural products is a definite hit in the market,” says Shaheen Majeed, marketing director of Sabinsa. “Inspired by nature and validated by modern scientific techniques is a trend to which the market will continue to respond.”

And, suppliers are responding to demand, with alternatives to synthetic chemical-laden skin care. No matter what niche of skin care your brand represents, there are eco-friendly ingredient options that can meet your needs and impress consumers.

Sun Care

The need for green sun care has steadily increased over the years, and suppliers have risen to the challenge. Just last month, Antaria Limited, an Australia-based manufacturer of advanced material in personal care, launched ZinClear XP CoCo, a 65% wt% dispersion of zinc oxide in coco-caprylate/caprate. Ecocert accredited and pending NPA certification, this ingredient can be used in sun care, skin care and cosmetic applications.

“It achieves high levels of broad spectrum UV protection while maintaining market-leading levels of transparency, using a single filter without the need to add [synthetic] chemicals,” says Gigi Berklite, marketing manager of Antaria’s U.S. distributor Deveraux Specialties.

“The 65% ZnO content allows the user greater flexibility when formulating compared to a typical 50% ZnO dispersion. And, as the incorporation of UV filters into daily use cosmetics continues to grow, so will the focus on innovative natural products such as ZinClear XP65CoCo, which offers a natural alternative to the use of chemicals.”

Skin Lightening

Growth in the Western world’s awareness of protection against the sun’s harmful rays runs concurrent with the expansion of skin-lightening products in Asia. Annual Asia facial skin care sales are expected to reach nearly $40 billion by the end of 2019, with more than a third of sales attributed to skin lightening products, according to Transparency Market Research.

To meet the demand for eco-friendly ingredients for this niche, Sabinsa offers pTeroWhite.

It’s not just women’s skin care that demands these types of ingredients. Earlier this year, the Philippines-based men’s skin care brand Personal Collection launched a range of skin lightening products incorporating pTeroWhite in their whitening facial wash and whitening lotion.

Natural Anti-aging

Consumers are continually looking for natural alternatives to invasive anti-aging procedures, and anti-aging skin care is at the top of their list. Gatuline Expression AF, is a natural anti-aging active ingredient from French supplier Gattefossé.

“Gatuline Expression AF is based on Acmella oleracea, also known as paracress, a tropical plant traditionally used as a taste enhancer and anesthetic agent,” explains Myriam Abderrachid, product marketing manager—personal care, Gattefossé. “Gattefossé sources this natural species in Madagascar. This product has been proven to hold strong myorelaxing properties. Therefore, they inhibit micro-contractions that create then aggravate facial fine lines. Their effect is perfectly reversible and offers a safe alternative to invasive injections.”

Recommended as an active ingredient for facial anti-aging and anti-wrinkle treatments, Gatuline Expression AF can help smooth out expression lines rapidly, particularly on crow’s feet and forehead, between the eyebrows and around the lips.

Broad-appeal Innovations

All-star green ingredients that can be useful in multiple skin care applications will always be in high demand. Clariant’s Plantasens line features easy-to-incorporate ingredients that deliver sustainable beauty. The line currently features olive squalane, which is 100% olive-derived and softens and conditions skin without a greasy after feel, and a variety of emollient serums, which are rich in omegas, antioxidants and vitamins designed to create a luxe sensory after feel.

“By the end of the year, we will introduce actives and texturizing agents to the Plantasens line of naturally inspired raw materials for hair and skin care,” says Lisa Gandolfi, Ph.D., technical and marketing manager, Consumer Care North America, Clariant. “This next generation of naturally derived ingredients also provides high performance, allowing our customers to give premium benefits to their consumers through natural formulations.”

Lubrizol has recently launched Carbopol Ultrez 30, a next-generation carbomer that can eliminate the need for preservatives.

“Due to the increasing awareness of preservations, the market has walked away from the traditional preservatives and is leaning toward the natural organic acid market,” says Lee Roberts, marketing communications manager of Lubrizol. “Carbopol Ultrez 30 provides the desired rheological and aesthetic properties in low to medium levels of electrolyte or acid-active-containing conditions required to deliver efficacy of the product to the consumer.”

The ingredient features a unique, cushiony rubout felt in high-end and luxury beauty lines, and can be used in facial and body lotions, creams and gels as well as sun care applications.

Keep an eye out across the industry for more green luxury ingredients to come.

This article appeared in the October 2015 issue. Find more on this topic in the digital magazine.